Intellectual Property

Camara & Sibley represents plaintiffs and defendants in patent, copyright, trademark, trade-secret, false-advertising, and unfair-competition disputes as well as contract and fiduciary disputes over the ownership and creation of intellectual property.

Our patent experience includes banking technology, computer security, computer networks, smartphones, medical imaging, oilfield equipment, seismic equipment, telecommunications and VoIP, and valves. Through our network of local counsel, we can represent clients in all major patent jurisdictions, including the Eastern District of Texas, the Northern and Central Districts of California, the Southern District of New York, and the District of Delaware.

We have special expertise in software copyrights and patents, including liability under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), the doctrines of copyright and patent misuse, interoperability, reverse engineering, fair use, the enforceability of licensing agreements, the § 117 essential-step defense, infringement injunctions, and the determination and constitutionality of statutory damages. We have litigated several landmark cases in this area, including the litigation campaign of the recording industry against peer-to-peer music downloaders and Apple's effort to prevent competitors from selling OS X-compatible computers.

Our corporate group also advises clients about intellectual-property licensing and protection and intellectual-property issues that arise in acquisitions, mergers, and other corporate transactions. We do not handle patent prosecution (obtaining new patents) or issue freedom-to-operate or noninfringement opinions in the usual course of our practice.